Our partners and the top developers in Dubai

Who are the top property developers in Dubai?

These are the developers buyers ask us about most often. They are listed in no particular order and this is not a ranking:

• Emaar: master developer of Downtown Dubai
• Nakheel: master developer of Palm Jumeirah
• Meraas
• Dubai Holding
• DAMAC
• Sobha
• Ellington
• Azizi
• Binghatti

Each profile explains the communities the developer is associated with and how to research its projects. For the full directory, see Dubai developers.

How do our developer partnerships work?

We mark a developer as an official partner only when we have a written agreement with them. Being a partner does not change our advice: we still run the checks below on every project and tell you if a project does not suit your budget, timeline or goals. Developers without the partner mark are listed for information, and we can still advise you on their projects.

How do you choose a developer in Dubai? 7 checks

• Project registration. Look the project up on the Dubai REST app or the Dubai Land Department (DLD) website and confirm it is registered.
• Escrow account. Off-plan payments in Dubai must go into a registered project escrow account. Pay only into that account, never to a person.
• Completed buildings. Visit or read about buildings the developer has already handed over: finish quality, maintenance and how owners rate them.
• Handover record. Ask how previous projects compared with their original completion dates.
• The SPA. Read the sale and purchase agreement for the payment schedule, delay clauses, specification changes and what happens if you cannot complete.
• Payment plan vs. progress. Check that payments are linked to construction milestones you can verify.
• Running costs. Ask for expected service charges and check comparable buildings on the DLD service charge index.

Our off-plan due diligence checklist and how to verify a developer on Dubai REST go through each step.

What is the difference between a master developer and a building developer?

Some developers plan whole communities, with roads, utilities, parks and retail, and sell plots to others. Others build individual towers within those communities. A community name therefore does not tell you who built a particular building: check the developer named in the SPA or on the title deed, and confirm it on Dubai REST.

Should you buy from a developer directly or through an agent?

You can buy a new launch directly from the developer's sales office or through a RERA-registered agent. An agent's job is to compare projects across several developers, check the paperwork and handle the registration steps with you. In many off-plan launches the agency fee is paid by the developer rather than the buyer, but this varies, so confirm in writing who pays any fee before you commit. See off-plan vs ready property if you are still deciding between the two.